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Federal investigators are examining a commuter plane's cargo weight and tail assembly as they look for the cause of this week's crash in Charlotte, N.C. All 21 people aboard died in the fiery crash. Some airline employees say the plane "looked heavy" upon takeoff. Jaime Bedrin reports.

Briefing the U.N. Security Council on weapons inspections in Iraq, chief inspector Hans Blix says he's found no "smoking gun" in Iraq. But Blix and other inspectors say Iraq's weapons declaration leaves many questions unanswered. Linda Fasulo reports.

As North Korea withdraws from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, nations around the world express dismay and concern. Neighboring South Korea and Japan are especially alarmed. The action also raises the stakes in the North's standoff with Washington. Hear from NPR's Eric Weiner and Ashton Carter of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Outgoing Illinois Gov. George Ryan commutes the death sentences for all of the state's death row inmates, citing mistakes in the state's capital punishment system. The move spares the lives of more than 150 inmates, and is sure to focus new attention on the death-penalty debate. Shirley Jahad of Chicago Public Radio reports.

North Korea says it may resume testing ballistic missiles, a day after announcing it will abandon a global nuclear treaty. North Korea already has missiles capable of reaching South Korea and Japan. Hear NPR's Scott Simon, NPR's Eric Weiner, former Clinton adviser Wendy Sherman and Katie Oh of the Institute for Defense Analysis.

A combination of rains and high tides is once again threatening the "floating city" of Venice, Italy. But as NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports, some Venetians also feel that the soul of the city is also under attack -- young people are leaving, and the city is almost entirely dependent on tourism.

U.N. weapons inspectors wrap up their first field mission in Iraq after a four-year hiatus. The inspectors examined two sites near Baghdad, looking for evidence of banned weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. has warned Iraq's Saddam Hussein it will disarm Iraq by force if the inspections fail. Listen to NPR News.

A federal judge approves a partial settlement between WorldCom and the SEC in which the company accepts allegations of fraud and agrees to close monitoring of its corporate governance and its accounting controls. The judge defers a decision on penalties. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

Washington, D.C.-area sniper suspect John Lee Malvo, 17, will appear at a court hearing in Virginia to determine whether he'll be tried as an adult for capital murder and face a possible death sentence. NPR's Larry Abramson reports.

Illinois Gov. George Ryan commutes death sentences for all of the state's death-row inmates, calling the state's capital punishment system "arbitrary, capricious and therefore immoral." NPR's Liane Hansen talks with Mimi Wesson of the University of Colorado School of Law.